


80085

by MeinongsJungleBook



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One)
Genre: Established Romantic Relationship, Flirting, Height Differences, Holomatter Avatars, Other, Snuggling, Suggestiveness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-19
Updated: 2019-06-19
Packaged: 2020-05-13 13:11:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19251880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeinongsJungleBook/pseuds/MeinongsJungleBook
Summary: Bumblebee admires Starscream's new human holoavatar.





	80085

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Starbee Week prompt "Humanformers".

Bumblebee should have figured that someone who changed frames as frequently as Starscream would cycle through holoavatars at the rate that Prowl cycled through desks. Now that human holoavatars were a standard part of diplomatic dealings with Earth, Starscream spent hours before every expedition picking out a new avatar, grumbling about the fact he had to “parade around as a grotesque fleshling” all the while. Bumblebee thought that deep down Starscream secretly enjoyed it – he found it hard to believe that he’d spend so much time stressing over the minute details of a new holoavatar every opportunity he could (sometimes even changing it while in the middle of the mission) if he didn’t find it fun.  

This time Starscream had settled on an avatar that was a bit different from the last few he’d worn; while his previous human forms had been of the flat and angular variety (well, by human standards at least), this one was far curvier, and had those two mounds of flesh on the chest that about half of all humans had. What were they called again? Bumblebee cross-referenced his query against the Earth database and was hit by a proverbial tsunami of synonyms. Honkers? Melons? Gedoinkers? Cadillac bumper bullets? Why in Primus’s name was it necessary for the human race to have so many ways to describe a pair of flesh orbs that only half of them possessed?

Many bots, Starscream included, liked to pick out holoavatars that mirrored their real bodies in some way, and Bee wondered if Starscream had picked this form because, thanks to rather prominent turbines of his current frame, he was used to having a pair of large protrusions sticking out of his chest. Bee noted with slight amusement that one of the terms humans used to refer to these flesh protrusions was “headlights”, and he figured that given many bots (often himself included) had their headlights protruding from their chest in such a way, many of them might choose a similar sort of form for the same sort of reason. Bee decided that if these things could be referred to as headlights, they could just as easily be called turbines, and if he had to pick a word for them, that one seemed to make the most sense (although he was also a bit tempted to go with the “bee-stings” option).

Until not too long ago, Bee hadn’t been that into turbines, but hanging around Starscream and having them at his optic level all the time had taught him to appreciate them, and Starscream certainly enjoyed the appreciation. Well, he didn’t like it so much when they were in public and Bumblebee would flick the fan blades of his turbines into motion out of boredom (or just for the sake of being annoying), but he liked all the other things Bee did to them. Playing with Starscream’s turbines could be a little risky however, given how pointy they were, and thanks to the height difference between himself and Starscream, Bumblebee sometimes worried that he was going to have his optic taken out.  

Although they were both obviously a lot smaller in their human forms, they still had a similar relative height difference most of the time. This time around, this was in part due to the fact that Starscream had picked out an avatar that had shoes with elevated (and very pointy) heels, which Bumblebee guessed was because he was used to walking on heel thrusters. This time however the height difference didn’t present the same threat of bodily harm; while Starscream’s turbines had been pointy enough to pierce mesh, the simulated fleshy turbines of his holoavatar were rounded and – knowing humans – probably soft. Bee decided to test his assumption.

Bee’s favourite thing about wearing a human holoavatar was how easy it made embracing; humans didn’t have any of the awkward and idiosyncratic kibble that Cybertronians always had to figure out how to navigate around in any new intimate relationship. Well, there were these human turbines, but Bee figured they wouldn’t be much of an obstacle. He walked over to Starscream and wrapped his arms around his waist with an ease granted by a lack of cockpit or wings obstructing the way, and rested his chin between the human turbines, and found them even softer than he expected. Extreme softness could create a disgust reflex in Cybertronians, especially if they weren’t accustomed to it, but when they were wearing these holoavatars that were so soft themselves, it became much more appealing.   

Bee snuggled his face into the soft pocket between the turbines that Starscream’s new form had so conveniently provided for him at just the right height, and peered up at Starscream’s face as he pulled him even closer. The holoavatars were incredibly advanced and could simulate all kinds of human physiological processes and reactions, such as heartbeat and eye dilation, and map them to the actual emotional states of the bots driving the avatars. Bumblebee was learning how to interpret all these biological signifiers of mood and meaning, and he liked to think he was getting pretty good at it.  

“If I tell you this body’s my favourite so far, will you stay in it long enough to let me help you figure out its entertainment systems?” Bee asked with a flutter of the eyelashes he now possessed.

Starscream glanced down at the face of Bee’s holoavatar that was peering up at him while snuggled into the accommodating softness of Starscream’s own avatar, and scoffed, “Don’t think I still find you cute when you’re wearing that gross flesh suit,” he replied dismissively.

But as Bee felt Starscream’s simulated heartbeat quicken, he knew exactly what to think.  

**Author's Note:**

> Ok this is now [two separate fics](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Windscream_Week_Works/works/15813060) I've written about how much easier it is to get TFs to hug in human form because _goddamn does that kibble vex me_.


End file.
